Exploding foil initiators, which are also known as slappers, are employed to generate a shock wave to initiate a detonation event in an explosive charge. In a conventionally designed exploding foil initiator, a bridge member is connected to a power source through two relatively wide conductive lands. The power source is typically a capacitor whose discharge is governed by a high voltage switch. When the switch closes, the capacitor provides sufficient electric current to change the bridge member from solid to a plasma. The pressure of the plasma drives a flyer or pellet into contact with the explosive charge, thereby generating the shock wave and initiating the detonation event.
The heretofore known high voltage switches for use with exploding foil initiators, which include vacuum spark gap switches and solid state switches, tend to be relatively expensive and bulky. While the cost and size of such switches is not necessarily prohibitive for relatively large and expensive munitions, such as guided missiles, cost and packaging concerns have substantially precluded the use of exploding foil initiators in smaller, more commonly used munitions. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a highly reliable, yet relatively small and inexpensive detonator that utilizes an exploding foil initiator.